“When life gives you lemons…” You know the rest – you can make lemonade, lemon meringue pie, add a few slices to your ice-cold water, or add a citrusy burst of flavor to chicken, shrimp, or fish. Yet the almighty lemon can do a whole lot more. From cleaning and disinfecting, to helping you feel and look healthier, here are some tried and true uses for this tart, vibrant fruit.
Lemons for Your Home
Soak dull, faded pitchers, coffee pots, and decanters in a sink-full of lemon water to make them look like new.
Freshen up and sanitize your cutting boards by scrubbing them with a combination of the cut side of a half a lemon and salt. Then, squeeze out the juice into a basin or sink of water and wash the cutting boards, rinse, and allow to dry.
After you’re done sanitizing your cutting boards, slice those lemon peels up and toss them in the garbage disposal and grind them up to banish odors. Do this routinely to keep foul odors at bay.
Combined with sunlight are nature’s bleach! Squirt a little fresh lemon juice on stained whites and let them dry in the sun.
Rub the cut side of half a lemon on kitchen and bath fixtures to remove hard water stains. Don’t forget to rinse with clean water and wipe dry.
Lemons for Your Health
- Throat a little sore? Gargle with or sip lemon water, which has anti-bacterial properties.
- Stop the bleeding from minor cuts or scrapes and disinfect by pouring a little lemon juice on the wound.
- It contain potassium which can help regulate your blood pressure.
- What’s more, they assist in the production of urine which helps reduce inflammation and while flushing out toxins.
Lemons for a More Beautiful You
- Lemons reduce the production of free-radicals, thereby reducing signs of aging.
- Use fresh lemon juice to naturally tighten and brighten skin and reduce age spots. You may want to skip this one if you have sensitive skin.
- Add highlights to your hair naturally by rinsing it with a quarter cup of fresh lemon juice and three-quarter cups clean water, then dry your hair naturally in the sun.
- Brighten fingernails by soaking them in a mixture of water and fresh lemon juice.
Who knew, right? By the way, grinding up lemons in your garbage disposal does more than banish foul odors. It also can help keep your kitchen drain line clear. Plus, they’re better suited to the purpose than chemical-based cleaners since lemons are completely natural and harmless to both the environment and your household plumbing. Lemons that are squeezed out for your juice and cooking projects are ideal for the disposal as well.
But what about those times your kitchen or other household drains clog up anyway, and you find all your DIY efforts aren’t helping? That’s when it’s time to contact Anthony’s Plumbing, Heating & Air. We are highly experienced and have all the latest gear to make any drain or sewer clog – no matter how severe – go away.
